Drip dry shower curtain rod



Jan. 28, 1964 J. G. BURK 3,119,496

DRIP DRY SHOWER CURTAIN ROD Filed Oct. 29, 1962 Off/V575 United States Patent O M 3,119,496 Dit@ DRY HWLR CURTAEI R01) .1o G. Burk, Springeld, Mo. (4212 Lovers Lene, Bailas, Tex.) Fiied Oct. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 233,895 4 Claims. (Ci. 211-1tl5.1)

This invention relates to article supports and more particularly to slidable, pivotable supports for drip drying apparel.

It is a Well established custom of long standing for Women to rinse out hand washables in the bathroom sink and drape them over the shower curtain rod to dry. With the advent of drip-dry and wash-and-wear fabrics that require little or no ironing if they are not wrinkled by the drying process, it is a growing custom to remove apparel articles made of these fabrics from the automatic Washer after the wash cycle, before they have been wrinkled by spin drying, and to hang them over the shower curtain rod to drip dry. Because most shower curtain rods are positioned closely adjacent the front edge of the bath tub, the apparel articles hung over the shower curtain rod drip in the tub, on the front edge of the tub, and on the oor adjacent the front edge of the tub. Also, when anyone wishes to shower, all the drying apparel must be removed from the rod so the shower curtain can be closed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide shower curtain rod associated supports over which articles may be draped for drying so that any liquid which drips from the articles will fall entirely into the bath tub.

It is another object of this invention to provide shower curtain rod associated apparel drip drying supports that will not interfere with the normal use of the shower curtain.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparel supports of the character described from which drying apparel need not be removed while the shower is being used.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of shower curtain rod associated apparel drying supports that are slidable toward and away from one another and are pivotable with respect to the shower curtain rod.

These and other objects of the present invention are set forth in greater detail in the following description having reference to the attached drawing wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary perspective view of a bathroom shower area including an embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken through line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional View taken through line 3 3 of FIGURE l;

FlGURE 4 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 showing the article support in elevation with the arm folded;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view showing the insertion of the arm in the socket member; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of the article support including the arm and the socket member.

Now, having more particular reference to the drawings, an illustrative embodiment of the drip dry shower curtain rod of the invention is generally indicated at 1d.

The drip dry shower curtain rod 1@ is comprised of a hollow, generally cylindrical tube-like rod 12, which may be constructed from plated extruded brass tubing, stainless steel tubing or any other rigid, non-tarnishing non-corroding material. Rod 12 has an elongated slot 14 cut therefrom by any conventional metal removing procedure such as punching. Slot 14 is substantially horizontal and 3,119,495 Patented Jan. 2S, 1954 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod 12. Alternately rod 12 may be rolled from at stock around a mandrel until a slotted tube is formed. Intermediate the ends of rod 12, an enlarged opening 16 is formed in slot 14, as by removing semicircular portions from the rod 12 adjacent the upper and lower edges of slot 14 near the midpoint of rod 12. The rod 12 is positioned near the forward edge of a bath tub 13 in the normal position of a shower curtain rod between opposing walls 20 of the shower area as by conventional flanges 22. According to the invention, a pair of socket or slide members 24 are inserted within the rod 12 prior to its positioning over the tub 1%. Each socket member 24 comprises a generally cylindrical casing 26 having an outer diameter of a size so as to provide a frictional sliding t between the cylindrical casing 26 and the interior surface 28 of rod 12. Positioned within the cylindrical casing 26 is a socket comprised of a non-movable portion 3'@ and a spring urged movable portion 32. Movable portion 32 is adapted to slide within the casing 26 coaxial with the longitudinal axis thereof and is urged toward cooperating non-movable socket portion 3d by spring 3d. Non-movable portion Sil is held in position as by pins 38. In the embodiment shown, the facing surfaces 36 of socket portions Sil and 32 each have a spherical sector it? removed therefrom. In addition, a horizontal slot 42 whose function will be more fully explained hereinafter is cut in non-movable portion 3i) which extends from sector dit through end 44 of casing 25. A circular opening i6 is cut from casing 26 overlying the space d8 between portions 3i) and 32 at the head of slot 42.

According to the invention the drip dry shower curtain rod includes a pair of elongated bar-like arms S0 which may be fabricated from any rigid non-corroding material such as stainless steel or plastic. Each arm 50 has rigidly secured to one end thereof a knob-like ball member 51.

In assembling the drip dry shower curtain rod lil, a socket member 2d is inserted in one end of hollow rod 12 and advanced until the circular opening 46 in the casing is aligned with the opening 16 in the rod 12. With the casing 26 in this position the ball member 51 of an arm 50 is inserted in the socket member 2@ by grasping the arm 5i) and putting it ball end first through the opening 16. The movable member 32 of the socket member 24 is moved away from the non-movable member 30 against action of the spring 34 by a tool such as a screw driver until the ball 50 slips into the detent formed by the hollowed out spherical sectors dit. The spring 34 then returns the movable portion T22 toward the non-movable portion 30. By grasping the arm 54B and exerting a slight force transverse to the longitudinal axis of the arm, the apparel support 52, which includes the arm E@ and the socket member Ztl, can be moved along the slot 14. `In like manner, the other apparel support 5d, which'is s imilar in all respects, is assembled with the rod 12. Care should be taken in inserting the socket members 24 in the rod 12 that the slots 42 point toward one another. It is also within the purview of the invention that each slot 42 pass through the circular opening to and extend through the end 55 of the casing 2e so that no care need be exercised in the insertion of the socket portions 2i) within the rod 12. Conventional rod encircling shower curtain rings and a conventional shower curtain (not shown) may then be associated with the rod 12.

In use the apparel supports extend over the tub far enough that any dripping articles draped thereover will drip entirely into the tub and will not splash onto the lloor area outside the tube. Because of the ball and socket joint, each arm can be pivoted between a position where the arm is parallel to the rod and a position to where the arm is perpendicular to the rod. The lower surface of the slot in the rod retains the article supports in a horizontal orientation although additional anti-rotation elements could be provided. The two article supports can be slid longitudinally away from one another the extent of the rod slot. They can be moved toward one another until their respective cylindrical casings abut and can both be moved to one end or the other of the rod. ln this manner, the rods can be spaced apart to support separate articles or can be positioned adiacent one another to support articles so heavy that they could not be supported by one of the supports alone. Also, the supports can be slid to the end of the rod furthest from the shower head when a person wants to take a shower while apparel articles are drying. In this manner, the drying clothes will not interfere with the shower curtain and will not be rewet by the shower water. When the supports are not in use, they may be slid longitudinally from one another' and their arms pivoted toward one another until the outer tips of the arms are positioned within the enlarged opening 16 and each arm is entirely within the rod 12. With the arms in this position, the supports do not interfere at all with the use of the shower curtain. When it is desired to use the supports, one need only grasp the tip of each arm by the thumb and fore linger through the elongated opening and pull outward.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown to illustrate the principles of the invention, it should be clear that many modifications can be eiected that do not depart from these principles and therefore this invention should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hollow rod adapted to extend between opposing walls and to be positioned near the front edge of a bath tub, said rod having anl opening therein midway between the ends thereof extending through one wall of said rod, slots extending longitudinally from the opening toward each end of said rod and terminating short thereof, two slide members positioned in the rod, said slide members having a snug sliding fit with the interior of said rod, each of said slides having an arm pivotally attached thereto and extending through said slots, said arms being independent one from the other and longitudinally adjustable toward and away from each other within the slots, said arms, when positioned at the outer extremities of the slots, being movable between a closed position wherein the arms are housed within the slots, and an open position wherein the arms extend outward from the rod forming article supports.

2. A shower curtain rod comprising: a hollow rod adapted to extend between opposing walls and to be positioned near the front edge of ya bath tub, said rod having an opening approximately equal distant from the ends of the rod and extending through one wall thereof, slots extending longitudinally from the opening towards each end of said rod and terminating short thereof, a pair of slide elements located inside said hollow rod each slide member being circular in cross section and of such dimension to form a snug sliding t with the interior of said rod, each of said slides having a socket therein, each socket comprising two opposed portions, the first being a non-movable portion and the second a movable portion; a pair `ot arms each having a ball secured to one end thereof said balls being of a size to pass through said opening and adapted to seat in the socket of one of the slides so that the associated arm extends outwardly through the said slot, said movable portion of said slide cooperating with the non-movable portion of said slide to hold the ball and arm attached thereto firmly in place, the arms being movable toward and away from each other along the slots for longitudinal adjustment, the arms when at the outer extremities or" said slots being pivotable from a closed position wherein the arms lie within the slots to an open position wherein the arms extend outwardly fromv the rod to form article supports.

3. In `combination with a tubular shower curtain rod, a pair of article supports each comprising an elongated substantially horizontal arm having a knob-like joint secured to one end thereof and a socket member, each socket member beingpositioned within the tubular shower curtain rod and communicating with the exterior of the rod through an elongated slot formed in said rod, said slot having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod, the knob-like joint of each arm being posi-V tioned within and partially enclosed by each socket member, said arms being pivotable in said sockets from a storing position substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod to an article supporting position substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod, and said article supports being slidable in said slot between a first position wherein the pair of article supports are adjacent one another and a second position wherein the pair of article supports are spaced longitudinally along the rod from one another.

4. A hollow rod adapted to extend between opposing walls and to be positioned near the front edge of a bathtub, said rod having an opening therein midway between the ends thereof extending through one wall of said rod, slots extending longitudinally from the opening toward each end of said rod and terminating short thereof, two slide members positioned in the rod, said slide members having a snug sliding tit with the interior of said rod, each of said slides having an Iarm pivotally attached thereto and extending through said slots, said slides being of oircular cross section and provided with sockets, each of said arms having a ball formed on one end thereof, said balls cooperating with said sockets to form the pivoted joints,

said arms being longitudinally adjustable toward and away.

from each other Within the slots, said arms, when positioned at the outer extremities of the slots, being movable between a closed position wherein the arms are housed within the slots, and an open position wherein theiarms extend outward from the rod forming article supports.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,587,676 Patterson June 8, 1926 2,199,851 Culver May 7, 1940 2,355,835 waaien Aug. 15, 1944 2,473,771 Slater lune 21, 1949 2,642,193 Severin lune 16, 1953 2,798,783 Lucas July 9, 1957 

1. A HOLLOW ROD ADAPTED TO EXTEND BETWEEN OPPOSING WALLS AND TO BE POSITIONED NEAR THE FRONT EDGE OF A BATH TUB, SAID ROD HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN MIDWAY BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF EXTENDING THROUGH ONE WALL OF SAID ROD, SLOTS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE OPENING TOWARD EACH END OF SAID ROD AND TERMINATING SHORT THEREOF, TWO SLIDE MEMBERS POSITIONED IN THE ROD, SAID SLIDE MEMBERS HAVING A SNUG SLIDING FIT WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID ROD, EACH OF SAID SLIDES HAVING AN ARM PIVOTALLY ATTACHED THERETO AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS, SAID ARMS BEING INDEPENDENT ONE FROM THE OTHER AND LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WITHIN THE SLOTS, SAID ARMS, WHEN POSITIONED AT THE OUTER EXTREMITIES OF THE SLOTS, BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN THE ARMS ARE HOUSED WITHIN THE SLOTS, AND AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN THE ARMS EXTEND OUTWARD FROM THE ROD FORMING ARTICLE SUPPORTS. 